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My Reba RL 29’er forks seem to have developed a rather strange problem.
When you press down on the forks while stood still they move fine for the first compression and then get gradually stiffer with each cycle to the point where they’re almost totally locked, it almost feels like they’re binding and then releasing.
Now when you do the same with the front brake applied they cycle through their travel just fine.
While out riding they feel fine sometimes and rather stiff at other times.
They’ve been serviced regularly and have all the correct oil volumes in them. There’s no noticeable play in the bushes when you rock the fork back & too and the stanchions are unmarked and smooth.
One friend / bike mechanic suggested that it may well be the foam wiper rings folding over and causing the fork to bind?
Any suggestions?
Take the foam rings out and see if they still do it..
Foam rings wouldn't do that, I doubt. They'd just get ripped up if they got caught.
My money is on some sort of oil flow problem in the damping side.
Wondering if theres a seal rolling rather than sliding.
Have you tryed sitting the bike upside down for a few hours,allowing the oil to run down to the bushings/sponges?
Nope but I will give it ago.
The oil flow problem sounds probable, I did the 'disable your poplock' thing a while ago, wonder if the spring has dropped into the damper mechanism?